Container construction



I ig- 9, 1966 G. CHIEGER 3,265,235 CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21. 1963 X4 j 4 A? i fi 1 N VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,265,235 CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION George Chreger, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich, assignor to Fruehauf Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 21, 1963, Ser. No. 289,519 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. 220-4) This invention relates generally to container constructions, and more particularly to an improved composite corner post and casting construction for shipping containers and the like.

Shipping containers of the type more particularly described in application Serial No. 112,635 filed May 25, 1961 for Shipping Apparatus and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention, are often stored in vertically stacked relationship aboard ship, at a dock facility, etc. In addition, such containers are generally handled by a spreader bar that is superimposed thereover so as to engage complementary holding means on the top of the container. Thus, if the container is heavily loaded, its corner posts and castings are severely stressed and-the capacity thereof to accept vertical loads must be maximized consistent with manufacturing economy.

Also, as is more particularly described in application Serial No. 222,368 filed September 10, 1962 for Container Stacking System, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention, such containers are often supported and retained in vertically extending guides which are disposed in juxtaposed relationship to the corner posts thereof to guide the containers into stacked relationship. On known containers, which are made from high carbon steel that is painted or otherwise surface protected, the outboard surfaces of the corner posts thereof soon become Worn and abraided permitting rusting, corrosion and other surface deterioration. Such renders the structural integrity of containers subject to compromise as Well as making the container unsightly. This problem is aggravated by the practice of using high strength carbon steel corner castings for such containers in order to obtain the strength necessary to withstand vertical loads as discussed hereinbefore. While such steel corner castings exhibit the required strength characteristics necessary to withstand severe vertical loads as well as to accept spreader bars, the herefore known practice of surmounting the castings at the top and bottom of the posts have rendered them particularly susceptible to deterioration.

In accordance with the instant invention, both of the foregoing problems are solved by utilizing stainless steel corner posts that substantially overlie the corner castings at the top and bottom of the container at each of the corners thereof. Thus, loads transferred between the corner castings and posts are transferred in shear. The portion of the post overlying the casting both maximizes the strength of the corner construction and, because the posts are made from stainless steel, precludes abrasion of the corner casting.

Accordingly, one object of the instant invention is an improved container construction.

Another object is an improved composite corner post and casting construction for shipping containers.

Another object is a composite post and corner casting construction for shipping containers with improved stress transfer characteristics.

Yet another object is a container construction which precludes damaging abrasion and deterioration of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent in the following specification, claims and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shipping con- 3,265,235 Patented August 9, 1966 tainer having the improved corner post and casting construction of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken substantially in the direction of the arrow 2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

A shipping container 10, in accordance with the instant invention, comprises four corner posts 12, 14, 16 and 18 formed preferably from stainless steel sheet material. The posts 12, 14, 16 and 18 overlie a like plurality of upper cast steel corner castings 2t), 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

The corner post 16 which is exemplary of the posts 12, 14, 16 and 18 is secured to the casting 24 as by welding. Because an upper end portion 28 of the post 16 overlies the corner casting 24, loads resting on the casting 24 are transferred in shear to the post 16. In addition, the casting 24 is substantially entirely protected against scuifing and abrading incident to the movement of the shipping container 10 in the vertically extending guides of, for example, a ship cell, dock facility, or the like (not shown). It is to be noted that the post 16, overlies a lower corner casting 30 in a manner similar to its overlying relationship to the casting 24.

As best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the casting 24 is provided with a twist lock aperture 32 for the direct acceptance of a complementary twist lug on a spreader bar (not shown). Thus, lifting stress is transferred in shear from the casting 24 directly to the post 16.

From the foregoing description it should be apparent that the corner post and casting construction of the instant invention embodies an improved stress transfer re lationship between the corner castings and corner posts. In addition, abrading and deterioration of the corner post due to field use is minimized.

It is to be understood that the specific construction of the improved container construction herein disclosed and described is presented for the purpose of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following c'laim.

What is claimed is:

, In a shipping container having a plurality of vertical side and end walls in a generally rectangular array, an improved composite corner post and casting construction comprising a plurality of generally rectangular steel corner castings at each of the corners of the side and end walls, and

a plurality of corner posts extending between vertically aligned corner castings, respectively, said posts being secured to and overlying substantially the entire vertically extending outer faces of said castings so as to transfer loads therebetween in shear, the outer surfaces of said posts extending outwardly beyond the plane of said side and end walls so as to define the outer horizontal cross section of the shipping container so as to accept abrading and scufling to which said container is subjected, the outer surfaces of said posts being smooth and devoid of protrusions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,457,841 1/1949 Smith 220 1.5 2,764,314 9/1956 Mautner 220-84 3,044,656 7/1962 Combs 220-15 3,047,189 7/1962 Paul 220 71 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, THERON E. CONDON,

Examiners. 

